CES 2012: Transformer Prime Gets An Early Ice Cream Sandwich

Update comes a couple days early

For those with an ultra cool Transformer Prime Android tablet, there's good news - Android 4.0 has come to the device ahead of schedule.

Manufacturer Asus had previously confirmed that it would roll out the upgrade to the new Android platform, also known as Ice Cream Sandwich, on Thursday.

But in the typical spirit of Consumer Electronics Show surprises, it decided to push out the update early. It's certainly a nice change after other manufacturers have experienced ICS upgrade problems and been forced to delay their plans.

The Asus Transformer Prime is not your momma's tablet. With a massive quad-core processor clocking in at 1.3 GHz, 1 GB of DDR2 RAM, and a 10.1-inch display, the Prime is chock full of iPad competition.

The device also packs in an 8-megapixel rear camera and a 1.2-megapixel front camera along with the standard inputs/outputs like HDMI and SD.

The addition of Ice Cream Sandwich, making it one of the first devices to offer the newest and coolest Android OS, make it that much more attractive.

The device is available in 32 GB and 64 GB models, priced at a respectable $500 and $600. Color choices are "amethyst gray" and "champagne gold." The tablet is up for pre-order at outlets like Best Buy, Amazon, and Tiger Direct.

What Asus really wants, though, is for you to buy the extra docking station, which acts as both a secondary battery and a keyboard, turning the tablet into a fully functional laptop with up to 18 hours of battery life, according to the company.

That will cost you an extra $150, but even with the two together, you're getting a ton of computing power. So there's no doubt that on a price-per-performance scale, the Transformer Prime can stack up quite nicely. But the real question is whether or not it will make a splash in the mainstream.

The Author

Mark RabyBased in New York City, Mark follows the consumer electronics industry like a hawk. A published book author, he has a particular affinity for 3D technology and video games, and as such will surely be in the market for a new pair of glasses soon. Mark can be contacted directly at mark@i4u.com.